American startup firm Orion Span has announced that it intends to build a space hotel, with plans to launch it in late 2021 and start accepting guests by 2022.
"We are launching the first-ever affordable luxury space hotel," said Orion Span founder and CEO Frank Bunger, at the Space 2.0 Summit in San Jose, California, according to Space.com.
A 12-day stay at Aurora Station will begin at $9.5 million (€7.7 million). The space station will be will be 43.5 feet long by 14.1 feet wide and have a pressurized volume of 5,650 cubic feet, according to an Orion Span representative. It will orbit at an altitude of 200 miles.
For comparison, the International Space Station is 357 feet long and has an internal pressurized volume of 32,333 cubic feet.
The Aurora Station will be able to accommodate four paying guests and two crewmembers.
Orion Span is also planning for new modules to be added to the space hotel over time. Long-term, the company says it hopes to sell actual space in new modules for living or subleasing.
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